Officials checking Ky. dam after earthquake

Officials in eastern Kentucky are conducting tests on a dam to see if a recent 4.3 magnitude earthquake centered near Blackey enlarged the flow of a small stream at the bottom of the structure.

Inspectors from the Kentucky Division of Environmental Protection joined city officials from Jenkins and engineer Paul Nesbit at the Elkhorn Lake dam. Nesbitt told The Mountain Eagle that the stream is 10 times larger than it was five years ago, but it is not a cause for panic.

Nesbitt said the growth of the stream is "a concern" and officials will decide what needs to be done after tests are complete.

The Nov. 10 earthquake, centered about 10 miles east of Whitesburg, is the fourth-largest in Kentucky history.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.